The campaign for Zimbabwe's presidential election, due to take place on March 9th and 10th, has taken a distinctly sinister turn.
Mr Morgan Tsvangirai - who heads the opposition to President Robert Mugabe - has been charged with high treason. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. This action, taken by the Zimbabwean police, threatens further to undermine the democratic process in a country where democracy has been under threat for some time.
Zimbabwe now finds itself in a sad situation. A country which, under the rule of Mr Mugabe, shone as a beacon of hope politically and economically for the entire continent of Africa, now stands at the very edge of chaos. While the commercial farmers - most of them whites of British and Afrikaner origin - have been subjected to serious harassment, it has been the indigenous African population, particularly those in the cities, who have borne the brunt of suffering in Zimbabwe's descent into economic and political chaos.
It has been from this section of the community that Mr Tsvangirai has drawn his burgeoning support. The attacks on the white farmers appear specifically designed to counter Mr Mugabe's dwindling urban popularity by giving hope to Zimbabwe's land-hungry rural population. So-called "smart sanctions" imposed against Mr Mugabe by the European Union have failed to move him or his ruling Zanu-PF party. The threat to freeze assets and impose a travel ban on leading politicians has predictably been decried as the action of former colonial powers responsible for Africa's woes and intent on continuing their dominance.
South Africa, Zimbabwe's most powerful neighbour, has suffered more than any other African state at the hands of white racist politicians. Its credentials as a political entity committed to Africa and its people are impeccable. It has, moreover, the economic and political leverage to make its voice heard in Harare. The Rand has already been damaged by events north of the border and the South African economy could be further damaged by massive illegal immigration. It is strongly in the interest of President Thabo Mbeki, therefore, to do all in his power to help save Zimbabwe for democracy.